Cemetery covered by an artificial turf material

ABSTRACT

A cemetery has parallel pathways and one or two rows of crypts between each pair of pathways. Adjacent crypts in each row are positioned side-by-side, and either end of the crypts in each row are located at the pathway which extends along that row so that the crypts extend inwardly from the pathways. The tops of the crypts are substantially at pathway level and are covered by an artificial turf material or some other covering. Memorial markers may be set into the pathways opposite or at the ends of the crypts. Enough empty crypts to fill a substantial area or section between two or more pathways are set together, and this is usually achieved by cutting a trench or otherwise creating a depression large enough to accommodate the rows of crypts between the pathways. The entire depression may be formed and the pathways built between the rows of crypts. Then the trench or depression is provided with a base, and crypts are set upon that base. A gravel filler material may be poured between adjacent crypts. The trench or depression may be formed with large earth moving equipment which is considerably cheaper than digging graves on an individual basis. Prior to burial, the artificial turf material and top of a selected crypt are removed to expose the crypt interior for the burial.

United States Patent Glock et al.

[ 51 Mar. 27, 1973 CEMETERY COVERED BY AN ARTIFICIAL TURF MATERIAL [75] Inventors: Milton J. Glock; Loran P. Glock,

both of Belleville, Ill.

[73] Assignee: said Milton J. Glock, by said Loran P. Glock 22j Filed: Nov. 9, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 87,982

[52] U.S. Cl. ..52/133, 52/128, 52/103 [51] Int. Cl. ..E04h 13/00 [58] Field of Search ..52/124, 128, 134, 136, 103,

Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham Attorney-Gravely, Lieder & WOodruff 57 ABSTRACT A cemetery has parallel pathways and one or two rows of crypts between each pair of pathways. Adjacent crypts in each row are positioned side-by-side, and either end of the crypts in each row are located at the pathway which extends along that row so that the crypts extend inwardly from the pathways. The tops of the crypts are substantially at pathway level and are covered by an artificial turf material or some other covering. Memorial markers may be set into the pathways opposite or at the ends of the crypts. Enough empty crypts to fill a substantial area or section between two or more pathways are set together, and this is usually achieved by cutting a trench or otherwise creating a depression large enough to accommodate the rows of crypts between the pathways. The entire depression may be formed and the pathways built between the rows of crypts. Then the trench or depression is provided with a base, and crypts are set upon that base. A gravel filler material may be poured between adjacent crypts. The trench or depression may be formed with large earth moving equipment which is considerably cheaper than digging graves on an individual basis. Prior to burial, the artificial turf material and top of a selected crypt are removed to expose the crypt interior for the burial.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CEMETERY COVERED BY AN ARTIFICIAL TURF MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to cemeteries and more particularly, to a cemetery which has a maximum aesthetic appeal and which is less expensive to operate and maintain than present cemeteries. In is unnecessary to eliminate trees, shrubbery, flower beds, features, etc. in the designing of a cemetery or portion of a cemetery when this method is used. These items can be used between the roads and the crypts or they may be used within the area of the crypts with a base and root feeding area for said item encompassed by a wall of concrete, steel or other similar substance so as to be separate from the crypts. Thus, if preferred, no dirt need come in contact with the crypts.

One current practice among the operators of ceme- .teries is to dig each grave individually, place the burial in this opening into which has been placed a receiving receptacle or by placing the burial in the opening and placing a manufactured covering over it. In either case the grave is then refilled with soil over which is planted either grass, shrubbery or flowers.

Inasmuch as each grave is dug individually, the cemetery operator is indeed limited in the type of equipment that he can employ. Clearly, the cemetery operator cannot use large earth moving equipment since they remove too much earth for a single grave and the cost of this large equipment and its operation is too expensive for a small single opening. Yet large equipment is much less expensive than small equip' ment if a large operation could be completed at one time. At the most the cemetery operator is limited primarily to doing the operation by hand with a spade or shovel or with a backhoewhether it be attached to a tractor or a self propelled unit, but these methods are relatively slow and thereby relatively expensive, and furthermore they damage the surrounding turf and desecrate the surrounding graves.

Another current practice among cemeteriesis to use large earth moving equipment and remove the dirt from the area and place within that excavated area rows of crypts. These are often placed on a gravel footing and many times tile or some means of draining away the water is incorporated in this base. These crypts are then covered with soil on which is grown the natural turf. When a burial is made it is then necessary to remove the sod, the dirt and then the lid. Then after the burial the reverse of this method is followed. This is all very time consuming, inconvenient, expensive, and thus it is not very practical. Moreover, the lawns of established cemeteries require considerable maintenance and great expense to remain beautiful and then because the weather and rainfall cannot be controlled and irrigation is often too expensive, impractical or impossible, there are times when they do not look beautiful. Grass cutting, thatching, aerating, spraying insecticides and fungicides, snow molds, the creeping in of unwanted grasses and many many more problems and operations will be eliminated.

Furthermore most cemeteries do not have established paths leading to all graves and as a result people must walk on the graves of others. In it impossible to get trucks and grave digging equipment into the interment area of a cemetery without running over someones grave which always leaves a track and many times an indentation or a rut. It is virtually impossible under present cemetery design for earth burial to prevent the desecration of the graves. This invention protects and preserves the sanctity of every grave as it is needless for anyone to step on a grave even when a decoration for a grave is placed. No heavy equipment need ever be on a grave and so it will have the same beautiful appearance at all times, and families and loved ones buried in this manner and the public will have continued satisfaction, and peace of mind.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the principal objects of the present invention is to establish a method of covering burial crypts with an artificial turf-like or rug-like material instead of the practices now used of dirt or a slab of granite, marble, concrete or other aggregate, so as to operate a cemetery or portion thereof more practical, efficient and more economical and to keep said area, so covered with said material, more attractive throughout the year.

Another object is to establish a design of a cemetery or portion thereof to provide maximum us of an area as to the number of burials that can be made in said area; design a cemetery in which the graves are arranged in an orderly pattern and are all readily located and accessible from established walking paths; design a'cemetery requiring minimum maintenance; provide an effcient operation and thus at a minimum of cost; design acemetery with preplaced crypts, access to which may be gained for interment without removing dirt, and design a cemetery that will be appealing to the public at all times. In reference to the public there are certain fears or concerns as to a burial of a loved one, some of which are dirt, water, cleanliness, neatness, beauty, sanctity of the grave, convenience to locating and decorating the grave, aesthetic appeal, and securitysome fear above ground entombment, because of storms and vandalism, acts of God or man. It is important to note that various types of cemetery arrangements have solved some of these fears or concerns but never before have all these been solved by the advantages of this one system.

The present invention is embodied in a cemetery or portion thereof including parallel pathways and crypts set into the ground, above ground, or a combination of the two, between the pathways. The crypts are arranged in two rows (except because of roads, shrubbery, lakes, terrain, or design it may be necessary in some places to use one row) between the pathways and a covering extends over them. The invention also resides in the process for constructing the cemetery or portion thereof and that process includes digging the trench, marking pathways on each side of the trench (the pathway may be excavated and a fill be placed under said pathways), and placing empty crypts in the trench. Crypts may be placed on top of the ground or in a combination of trench and top of the ground depending on terrain and design. This invention also consists in the parts and the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. The present invention comprises the method of using artificial turflike or rug-like material to cover the tops of burial crypts which are set so that they are approximately the level of the terrain (whether natural or man made) or the pathways between said crypts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of a cemetery constructed in accordance with and embody- DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings, 2 designates a cemetery having parallel pathways 4 and 6 which are formed from an all weather material such as asphalt or solid aggregate. They may also be covered with an outdoor turf-like or rug-like material. The pathways 4 and 6 may have suitable memorial markers 8 set into them along their side edges and are wide enough to easily accommodate two people walking abreast of each other without having those people step on any of the memorial markers 8. If machinery will be used during the course of burials in the cemetery 2, the pathways 4 and 6 should also be wide enough to accommodate that machinery.

Between each pair of parallel pathways 4 and 6 are a succession of crypts 10 or burial vaults arranged in two rows 12 and 14, with the crypts 10 in the same row being positioned side-by-side and oriented transversely with respect to the pathways 4 and 6 between which they are located. In other words, the crypts 10 in the row 12 extend inwardly from the pathway 4, whereas the crypts 10 in the row 14 extend inwardly from the other pathway 6. Moreover, the foot end of each crypt 10 in the row 12 is located adjacent the foot end of the adjoining crypt 10 in the row 14, and this, of course, places the head ends of the crypts 10 in the row 12 along the side of the pathway 4 and the head ends of the crypts 10 in the row 14 along the side of the other pathway 6. The arrangement of crypts 10 may be reversed so that the foot ends are at the pathways 4 and 6. In the rectangular arrangement illustrated, the crypts 10 in the row 12 align with the adjoining crypts 10 in the row 14, so that normally there is no offset between the crypts of the two rows 12 and 14. Adjacent crypts 10 in the same rows 12 and 14 are located relatively close together, and this is also true of adjacent crypts 10 in the different rows 12 and 14. The crypts 10 are rectangular and have removable tops.

As mentioned the arrangement of crypts illustrated is a generally rectangular design, but other geometric arrangements may be used. One example is placing the crypts in a series of concentric circles separated by circular pathways. The crypts also can either be poured in the ground or erected in sections as well as being individually constructed so that one side serves two crypts.

The markers 8 may be set into the pathways 4 and 6 adjacent to the ends of the crypts 10, so that each crypt 10 is usually identified by a separate marker 8. Of course, a single marker 8 may be used to identify two or more crypts 10 and this is a customary practice where members of a family are buried together. The markers 8 may include vases 9 within the paths 4 and 6 so that access to the vases 9 is readily available from the path without one having to cross other grave sites. The vases 9 may be of the reversible or telescoping type which are recessed beneath the surface when not in use.

The crypts 10 are set so that their top surfaces are approximately at the same elevation as the pathways 4 and 6 located beyond those crypts 10. The crypts 10 may also be set so that their top surfaces are above ground or they may be located entirely above ground. In either case the pathways 4 and 6 should be built up to about the tops of the crypts 10. Preferably, no dirt is placed over the crypts 10, but instead they are covered with a flexible artificial turf or rug material 16 or some other suitable covering. This artificial turf 16 is in sheet form and is not secured permanently to the ground, but is instead anchored adjacent to the edges of the pathways 4 and 6 so that it can be easily removed to expose the tops of the crypts 10. If desired the artificial turf material 16 may be anchored to the removable tops of the crypts 10 or to a removable slab placed over the tops of the crypts 10 and forming a part thereof. One suitable artificial turf 16 is manufactured by Monsanto Company of St. Louis, Missouri, and is marketed by it under the trademark ASTROTURF. As previously noted the pathways 4 and 6 may be covered with the artificial turf material 16 also, but the material 16 on the pathways 4 and 5 should be in sections separate from the material 16 over the crypts 10 so that the crypts are accessible for burial.

The crypts 10 rest on a gravel type base 18 underlaid with tile drains 10 for draining excess water which may seep into that base. The base 18 may also be asphalt or concrete or like material, in which case the drains 20 would be incorporated into its footings. Instead of locating the drain tiles 20 along each side of the pathways 4 and 6 as illustrated a single drain tile 20 may be disposed underneath each pathway 4 and 6 for draining the filler material 22 on both sides of those pathways or other suitable drain means can be provided. Moreover, the crypts 10 need not rest directly on the base 18, but may rest on a foundation which in turn rests on the base 18. The spaces between adjacent crypts 10 in the same row 12 or 14 as well as the spaces between adjacent crypts 10 in different rows 12 and 14 may be filled with a porous filler. The filler also may be located along the ends of the crypts 10 and, consequently, may extend along the sides of and even beneath the pathways 4 and 6. This filler material 22 allows water to pass downwardly to the drains 20. Thus, each crypt 10 is surrounded by the filler 22. The filler 22, like the tops of the crypts 10, is masked or hidden by the layer of artificial turf 16.

While the drawings show only a single level of crypts equal the width of the pathways 4 and 6. The dirt removed from the trenches may be used to build up the pathways 4 and 6, in which case the actual digging is minimal, or it may be hauled away and used for a land fill or some other purpose. Conversely, the pathways 4 and 6 may be built up from the existing terrain and when constructed in this manner no digging or just a minimal amount of digging is required at the cemetery site.

Once the trenches are dug the tile drains 20 are set in place and a layer of gravel is spread across the bottom of each trench to form the gravel base 18 thereon. Then the crypts 10 are set on the gravel base 18 in the two rows 12 and 14, and more gravel is shoveled into the spaces between adjacent crypts 10 and along the head ends of the crypts 10, thus forming the gravel filler 22 which surrounds each crypt 10.

After the crypts 10 are set in place and the gravel filler material 22 is spread the pathways 4 and 6 are finished preferably with a hard surface such as asphalt or a suitable solid aggregate. Then the artificial turf 16 is spread over the tops of the crypts 10. Separate sections of the turf material 16 may also be spread over the pathways 4 and 6. The artificial turf 16 is anchored along the pathways 4 and 6, but the anchors are of a detachable nature and not permanent. It may be also anchored to the tops of the crypts 10.

Whenever the operators of the cemetery 2 receive a coffin for burial, they merely detach the anchoring devices around one of the empty crypts 10 and peel that artificial turf 16 back or otherwise remove it to expose the top of the selected crypt 10. Then the top of the crypt 10 is removed, and the coffin is placed in the crypt 10 with its one end located adjacent to the adjoining path 4 or 6. Thereupon, the top to the crypt 10 is replaced and sealed to the main body of the crypt 10 with a mortar or other suitable sealer. Once the top of the crypt 10 is back in place, the artificial turf 16 is again placed over the crypt 10 and anchored along the pathways 4 and 6 and to the top of the crypt 10 if necessary.

If a double layer crypt is used, an inner lid is sealed to the crypt walls approximately midway in the crypt after the first burial. The regular top is then emplaced in such a manner that it can be removed easily and the turf-like material is spread over the crypt. After the second burial the top is sealed permanently. In this manner two caskets are permanently sealed individually.

Finally, the appropriate memorial marker 8 is placed on the pathway at the head end of the selected crypt 10.

Accordingly, the burial is accomplished without the displacement of any earth, and without reseeding the area at which the burial occurred. Moreover, the artificial turf 16 requires little if any maintenance, and clearly avoids the burdensome task of mowing grass around graves. The pathways 4 and 6 afford convenient access to every grave in the cemetery 2, and visitors to the cemetery 2 do not walk over any of the graves. Finally, the graves are made accessible throughout the year by the use of relatively inexpensive snow blowers.

One of the alternative methods of constructing the cemetery is to excavate or form a depression of large size, la a base over the entire area or selected arts thereo provide drainage, and set the crypts and orm the pathways. The crypt arrangements and the provisions for the artificial turf covering, etc., are similar to those hereinbefore described.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cemetery comprising a substantially solid base placed at a selected height with respect to surrounding terrain, a plurality of regularly arranged pathways, a series of crypts laid in side-by-side relation between the pathways such that an end of each crypt is positioned adjacent to a pathway and the longitudinal axis of the crypt is substantially perpendicular to the pathway, the crypts being supported by the base with the tops of adjacent crypts being at substantially the same elevation as the adjacent pathways, and a sheet-like covering material extending over andlying directly against the top surfaces of the crypts, the sheet-like covering material extending up to the pathways and having margins defining the edges of the pathways, the sheet-like covering material resembling natural turf in appearance and being exposed upwardly to form an exposed surface of the cemetery.

2. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein the crypts are arranged in two parallel rows between pathways.

3. A cemetery according to claim 2 wherein the crypts of one row substantially align endwise with crypts of the other row.

4. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein the base is gravel.

5. A cemetery according to claim 1 and further characterized by a filler between adjacent crypts, the top surface of the filler being near the top surface of the crypts; and wherein the covering material extends over and lies directly against the top surface of the filler.

6. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein adjacent crypts are spaced from each other, and the covering material covers and conceals the spaces between adjacent crypts.

7. A cemetery according to claim 1 and further characterized by memorial markers at-the end of the crypts positioned adjacent to the pathway.

8. The cemetery of claim 7 wherein the memorial markers are set into the pathway.

9. The cemetery of claim 7 including vases at the memorial markers.

10. The cemetery of claim 1 including means for draining said base. 

1. A cemetery comprising a substantially solid base placed at a selected height with respect to surrounding terrain, a plurality of regularly arranged pathways, a series of crypts laid in sideby-side relation between the pathways such that an end of each crypt is positioned adjacent to a pathway and the longitudinal axis of the crypt is substantially perpendicular to the pathway, the crypts being supported by the base with the tops of adjacent crypts being at substantially the same elevation as the adjacent pathways, and a sheet-like covering material extending over and lying directly against the top surfaces of the crypts, the sheetlike covering material extending up to the pathways and having margins defining the edges of the pathways, the sheet-like covering material resembling natural turf in appearance and being exposed upwardly to form an exposed surface of the cemetery.
 2. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein the crypts are arranged in two parallel rows between paThways.
 3. A cemetery according to claim 2 wherein the crypts of one row substantially align endwise with crypts of the other row.
 4. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein the base is gravel.
 5. A cemetery according to claim 1 and further characterized by a filler between adjacent crypts, the top surface of the filler being near the top surface of the crypts; and wherein the covering material extends over and lies directly against the top surface of the filler.
 6. A cemetery according to claim 1 wherein adjacent crypts are spaced from each other, and the covering material covers and conceals the spaces between adjacent crypts.
 7. A cemetery according to claim 1 and further characterized by memorial markers at the end of the crypts positioned adjacent to the pathway.
 8. The cemetery of claim 7 wherein the memorial markers are set into the pathway.
 9. The cemetery of claim 7 including vases at the memorial markers.
 10. The cemetery of claim 1 including means for draining said base. 